StarCraft : Guardian
by izwan
Summary: Amon was defeated but the ensuing peace was still fragile. Now a new threat emerges that will affect all of the Koprulu Sector inhabitant and the Milky Way galaxy as a whole. Cues from Halo 5. Disclaimer: StarCraft and Halo aren't mine.
1. Chapter 1

**StarCraft : Guardian**

 **The Void.. A few months after the battle with Amon ended.**

"Zagarra, you should go. Lead the Swarm. Evolve. Survive. Create. Thou shall have no more ties with me for I am different now. I only have one command for you. Stay away from the terran."

But the broodmother was unmoved. She bowed to Kerrigan and said, "We will go nowhere else, my Queen. Me and the rest of the broodmothers pledge absolute loyalty to you. We will stay."

She floated nearer to the broodmother. "The void is not a place for you. You should go back to where you belong. To the other side of this dimension. I am a Xel'Naga now, Zagarra. Enough destruction had been done. I cannot be associated with a force of destruction such as you any longer."

"We were made to be this way, my Queen," replied Zagarra instead. She then lifted her head and gazed directly to the fiery angel floating above her. "We were born like this. This is who we are. You had always been the most powerful and the wisest of our kind. You had ensured our survival. You helped us flourished. You gave us dignity. Please don't cast us aside."

She cocked her fiery eyebrows. What the broodmother said was totally unexpected. "I remembered that no more than a few months ago you were impatient in taking over the Zerg from me. Is this how much you had change, Zagarra?"

"This is how much I had changed," confirmed Zagarra. "Once again I plead to you. Do not cast us aside. We are still in need of your wisdom."

The fiery angel straightened up. "Then my job is finish. You are what I envisioned. You are a worthy replacement. There is no more that I can teach you. Go Zagarra. Make something out of yourself. Lead the Zerg."

"And you will stay here?" asked Zagarra. "If not, where will you go?"

The angel looked afar. "Somewhere else where my destiny lies. Somewhere where I can be at peace and can no longer hurt anyone."

"And you will leave the human behind?" asked Zagarra again. "The one you fought so hard for?"

The angel gave Zagarra a sharp look. She knew to whom the broodmother was referring to.

Jim Raynor.

But her expressions soften moments later. "I shall leave him," she said. Her voice tinged with a sliver of regret. "He won't need to be saved anymore. He shall spend the rest of his life in peace."

"Peace for the terran would be nothing but fragile," stated Zagarra. "They are not like us. We Zerg do not fight each other. We evolve. We expand. The terran war will once again break out. It would be a matter of time before your human will once again embroil in it."

What Zagarra said gave the fiery angel a pause. What the broodmother said was right. Even when she was still a terran, the temperamental feature of the human psyche was very well known. Politics, money and the lust of power had always been the main staple of the day. She knew it all too well. The Protoss themselves were no better. The Nerazim versus the Khalai. The Daelam versus the Taldarim. It was all just the same. Peace for Jim won't last. And the fact that he saw himself as a through and through soldier worries her even more. Jim is not afraid to die in battle. While he will be able to accept it, she can't.

She raised her hands and landed her gaze on it. She now has the power. She can do virtually anything.

She held out her hands. Space dust, ice, gas and rocks began to swirl in front of her. The swirling got faster and faster. The primordial materials began to converge until it turns into a fast spinning orb, much larger than a thousand Jupiter combined. Its temperature rises higher and higher until the orb suddenly ignited into a newly born sun.

She had created a new star. The angel admired her handiwork for a while before suddenly she closes her hand. The newly born star began to shake. Huge fiery crack began to appear across its equator. The crack grew larger and larger until the star exploded in a huge supernova. She immediately erects a protective barrier, shielding both her and the Zerg.

She can create stars. She can destroy it as well. She can enforce the peace. She can burn them in hell.

An idea suddenly flew into her mind. If the terran and the rest of the galaxy inhabitant refuse to enforce peace upon themselves, then she will.

The angel turned towards Zagarra. "Very well. I shall accept the Zerg back into my embrace. But you and the rest will have to be ascended. You shall not be the Zerg any longer."

She once again raises her hand. A bright ball of light came out from it and began to engulf all the Zerg.

In a deep echoing voice that vibrates throughout the Void she spoke:-

" **My children hear me. Today, you will change. Today you will no longer be one with the old. You valour had been proven. Together we shall bring peace to this galaxy. Together we will protect. Those who follow us shall bask in our glory. Those who oppose us shall bask in our wrath. Our anger and our rage shall be brighter and hotter than a million suns. We will enforce and they shall obey. From this moment forth, you shall be my Guardian."**

Sarah lowers her hand and watches as the Zerg began to change.

She knew that she will succeed. Nothing will stand in her way. She shall remake this galaxy and the universe beyond it. Jim will no longer have to fight. She will bring peace to him. She will take care of him. She will protect him.

But before that, Jim must be put out of the way.

She closes her eyes. She re-establish the bond that had always exist ever since she was turn into the Queen of Blades. The bond in which she had use during her days as the leader of the Zerg to monitor him.

" _ **Jim. I'm alive. Follow the sign. Find me."**_

" _ **Find me."**_

* * *

 **Imperial Palace, Augustgrad, Korhal IV, 2.30am…**

Jim woke up with a jolt.

"Sarah."


	2. Chapter 2

**Imperial Palace, City of Augustgrad, Korhal IV – 9.30am two years after the Void event….**

He sat alone inside the emperor's private dining hall, massaging a cup of the finest coffee specially brewed for the imperial household and eating liberally applied butter on toast. The butter was fine. The bread was fresh. The coffee was really good. It was certainly a hell lot different compared to the grub he was forced to choke down on the Hyperion. The cooks on the Hyperion were not exactly chef material. They were marines who somehow had a rudimentary idea on how to operate a quick bake oven and exist simply to keep everyone on board alive and not die from starvation. And what's more, since the Raiders had always short on manpower, the so called chef would not only have to cook but to also clean out the cantina toilet as well. A lot of the time, he had suspicion that the meat was still alive when they served it to him. It was a miracle that he still lives. But then, he could probably attribute that to his own digestive system. That poor thing had seen a lot worse than any dumpster's content existed on the planet and still manages to come out on top.

Being good friends and close confidants to the newly crowned emperor had its own perks. Both he and Matt were given their own private quarters within the palace. In fact, their rooms situated just beside the emperor's personal quarters. Such was the trust given by Emperor Valerian Mengsk to his adversaries turned allies. It was not a surprising fact actually. The Raiders sheltered him during the war despite him being the son of their enemy. They were also the main reason on why he and all of his men were still alive. Valerian clearly did not want to lose them.

It was not that he really wanted to stay. Truth to be told, he had enough. He got what he wished for even if was not complete. The sector was now in good hand. The Zerg was strangely quiet. There were no sign of their activities. No sign at all. It was puzzling of course, causing the Dominion top military brass to scratch their heads. But it was nevertheless most welcoming. On top of that, peace negotiation had begun concurrently with the United Protoss and Kel-Morian Combine. There was no such negotiation being done with the Umojan Protectorate however, mainly because the new emperor was basically one of their own. The Umojan was pretty much elated by the news, even more with the fact that the Terran would finally sign a peace treaty with the Protoss and would in the end open up a huge amount of possibilities mainly in the form of military and technological cooperation. The Umojan was pretty much a huge fan of the Protoss after all.

Valerian of course was too reluctant to let him go. He argued that he won't be contributing to anything by going back to Shiloh or even Mar Sara. He further argued that being a marshal or even a farmer no longer suits him, that his place is now right here on Korhal where he could continue doing what he does best, protecting the people.

There was a heated argument between the emperor and the commander. He bluntly told Valerian that he was tired of everything, that all he wanted was to spend the rest of his remaining life and limbs in peace. The emperor of course accepted none of it and told him that beside his newly appointed admiral, he was the only one he could trust. The commander finally backed down when Valerian told him that he saw him as a father figure and that was the main reason on why he dearly wanted him to stay.

And stay was what he did.

Valerian's confession was shocking to say the least but nevertheless heart warming. He still has yet able to make the logic of it though. He never had the chance to see his own son growing up and did not really want to experience another spate of disappointments. But knowing Valerian's history, perhaps he could play a role in shaping the emperor. Emperor Acturus Mengsk II is certainly not what Valerian should turn into.

He was brought out of his reminiscent by the sound of the door opening and closing. He looked up and saw Matt walking towards him.

"Good morning, sir," greeted Matt. "You're up early."

He shook his head. "Matt, how many times do I have to tell you, I'm no longer your boss. Just call me Jim or whatever."

Matt chuckled as he took the vacant seat right beside Jim. "Old habits die hard. I had been calling you that since the first time we met, remember?"

"Yeah I remember," said Jim. "At Tarsonis. Just keep on practicing. It'll soon wear off."

"Right," said Matt as he took a slice of toast and began applying butter and jam on it. The dining room servant immediately went up to him and served him his coffee. "So, anything new? Still having the same dream?"

Jim put down his coffee. He sighed. "Yeah. And it kept getting stronger and more pronounced these past few days."

"She still asking you to find her?" asked Matt further.

Jim nodded. "Yeah. Same old message every time. The question is, why?"

"Yeah, that's the question isn't it?" said Matt. "She could still be out there somewhere. She may not be as dead as you thought she is. Remember you had this kind of dream or vision whatever you want to call it before."

"Yeah, I remember it. Like as if it happened just yesterday," said Jim. He signalled the servant to refill his cup. The servant obliged. "Remember how it went back then? She nearly got all of us killed."

"Yeah, I remember," said Matt. "You told me what happened on that planet when I was away. So, I take it you did not trust her?"

"This ain't about trust. At least not yet. She is definitely not a Zerg now. She's something else and hell lot more powerful than anything or anyone I ever seen. And I had seen a lot," said Jim as he sipped his coffee. "She was powerful back then Matt, and she packed a lot more firepower this time around. I've seen her fight. If it is true that she could survive the Void, she would be even more powerful than anyone could imagine. I could only hope that she decided not become crazy by it."

"They say with great powers comes great responsibilities," said Matt as he took another toast. "Yet many have forgotten the corruption that could also come with it."

Jim nodded. "True. And you know what's funny, Matt?"

"What?"

"Those powers, she never wanted any of it," said Jim. "That's what she told me once. To her, those powers brought nothing but pain. And yet, she was given more and more of it."

Matt nodded. "You did tell me that, quite a long time ago. But then it goes back to the dream you're now having. Still no plan?"

Jim's eyebrows creased. "No plan so far."

"I see," said Matt. "The last time you had this vision you immediately went to search for her. Now it's like, more than a year and you haven't done anything."

"I know Matt, I know," said Jim impatiently. "There is something about those dreams that gives me a pause."

Matt immediately put down his coffee. He looked at Jim intently. "You told me that before. Unless there's more than what you usually see."

Jim nodded. "There is. Just-."

But just as he about to speak, the door into the dining room opened. Valerian came in wearing a bathrobe and a pair of slippers. His hair was tied loosely in ponytail.

"Good morning, gentlemen," he greeted them and took a seat at the head of the long table. Jim and Matt were sitting at the either side of him. He paused as he laid his eyes on Jim. "You look like shit," he said.

Jim rolled his eyes. "Well nice to see you too, Your-I-Forgot-To-Take-A-Bath-This-Morning-Highness. Lucky for me my sense of smell left me for someone else long ago."

Valerian chuckled. "Unlike you, I can go without taking a shower for the whole month and still smell nice."

Jim cocked his eyebrows. "Really? Does Kate know about this?"

"No and she doesn't need to," said Valerian.

"Huh. That's one more bullet point for me, Junior," said Jim.

But Valerian simply waved Jim off.

The servant came in from the kitchen and served the emperor his usual sausages, scramble eggs and toasts. Unlike Jim and Matt, he drinks freshly squeezed orange juice.

"So anything new?" he asked he shove considerable amount of sausage and scramble eggs into his mouth.

Matt shook his head. "Nothing new. The usual. As before," he said.

"I take it that you both were talking about the dream before I came in," said Valerian. "You might want to do something about it, Jim. It had been more than a year. You look paler than usual. I take it that you didn't get enough sleep. Go to the palace's resident doctor. He could fix something for you."

But Jim shook his head. "There's no need for that, Valerian. I'm fine. I was just doing a lot of thinking."

Valerian paused before he continued eating. "Fine," he said. "But one more day like this I'm going to send you to the hospital in a restrainer. I can't have you going on forever looking like this. Enough is enough. You had gone through a lot. It's time for a change. I don't give both of you a place inside this palace for nothing."

"Well we did help you a lot back then," stated Jim. "I figure-.'

But Valerian cut him off. "It's not about that, Jim. Remember what we argued about on that day. My words still stand."

Jim sighed. He leaned against the back of his chair. "I remember," he said. "Sorry."

Valerian waved his hand. "Don't worry about it. But seriously, you look really tense this morning. Anything I should know of?"

This time, Matt cuts in. "Well, Jim was about to say something about the dream before you came in. Something serious I guess. Well what was it?"

Valerian turned to look at Jim and cocked his golden eyebrows.

It took a while before Jim finally spoke, "You guys remembered what I told you about the dream before, right?"

Both Matt and Valerian nodded. "You mentioned something about a lush green world and a golden temple," said Valerian. "You heard Kerrigan's voice but you can't see her. It was just the same like always."

"Well now there's more," said Jim. "And it started in about three to four nights ago. In that dream, I saw a ship."

"What kind?" asked Matt. "Terran? The Protoss? The Zerg?"

Jim shook his head. "No. This is different. I can't tell you how it's look like but it was really huge. I think it had a mass at least half of this planet."

Valerian and Matt looked at Jim with a no small amount of astonishment. "That. Is. Huge," said Valerian. "Are you sure about this, Jim?"

"Dead sure," replied Jim. "At least that's what the dream showed me."

"None of the ship within the Dominion record had its size with that magnitude. I don't think the Protoss and the Zerg had one either. Unfortunately you can't describe what it look like for us to deduce anything," said Matt. "It's not organic, is it?"

"No. Definitely not a Zerg if that what you mean," said Jim. His eyebrows creased as he tried to remember the dream. Moments later he spoke, "Wait. I think I found a reference. Do you remember that Xel'Naga ship we saw when we were trying to find the artifacts?"

"The one where we had to fight the Taldarim? Yeah, I remember," said Matt.

"The ship in my dream looks something like that. Only newer, much bigger and a lot more grander. Covered in gold plating or something like that," said Jim. He then paused. "Do you think she's in that ship?"

"It's hard to say," said Matt. "The voice. Does she sound in distress? Like she really needed help or something?"

Jim's eyebrows once again creased. Moments later he shook his head. "No. Not really. More like determination. Sense of triumph. More like she was happy about something. I don't know. It doesn't make sense."

"Could be a trap," added Valerian. "You can't see her. You only heard her voice. And now there's this big huge ass ship. You don't even have any idea what planet you saw in that dream. I don't think any of us knows any planet with a golden temple on it. At least not within any of the charted star systems. I say someone is trying to lure you out for God knows what."

"I agree," said Matt. "Your last incursion didn't go that well. You were lucky the Protoss were there with you."

Jim sighed. "Yeah I know. You were right. But still, hearing her voice, it brought a lot of memories back. The thing is, I don't even know if she is still alive. And even if she is, she's a Xel'Naga now. She's practically a royalty. There is no way she's going to look at me anymore. I'm just a mere mortal."

Valerian looked at Jim with utmost sympathy. He reached out to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Then perhaps it is time for you to forget about her, Jim. There's a lot of women out there who would definitely take a look at mere mortals like us. Stop chasing dreams. Learn to live."

"Yeah. I think I'll do that."

Valerian smiled. "Good. Until we can ascertain the impact of this dream of yours, there's nothing we could do. To be honest, I'm kind of worried about that ship you told me. I'll talk the resident doctor and ask him to give something to help you sleep tonight and chase away the dream. Let's hope tomorrow, you'll be a new man. And maybe a few weeks from now, you'll meet a new woman who would take care of that blue balls of yours."

"Hey!"

* * *

 **The Dominion Central Command Center, two hours later…**

Jim was feeling a little bit cheerful after the breakfast. He went to the doctor and was prescribed a few pills he needs to take before he goes to sleep.

But sleep won't come for at least another eight hours. Right now, he was holing up within the Command Center together with Admiral Matthew Horner and Emperor Valerian Mengsk. Valerian had offered him a place in the higher echelon within the Dominion military. He declined it of course, preferring instead to work with a smaller number of people. The emperor agreed. He established a special division that would cater for special missions just for him and added a few more battle cruisers in addition to the Hyperion he was using. The Hyperion itself was sent for repairs and it capabilities were upgraded. In addition to new weaponry and amenities, it also received two new fusion reactors, new engines, new engineering bay and upgraded force shield generator. Rory Swann was so elated when he got back his ship.

But today though, they were in a little bit of a crisis. More than a quarter of the Dominion Ghost operatives went missing without a trace for the past few weeks. Agent X41822N, more popularly known as Agent Nova was among them. She made her last transmission in about twenty four hours ago before she went completely dark. She was on Tarsonis with her team of Ghost operatives investigating strange events there. So far, nobody claimed responsibilities for what had happened.

However, before she went missing, she managed to send in a few images of Tarsonis. Those images were shocking to say the least. The former Confederacy world was known to be heavily infested by the Zerg. Those images however showed that the planet was now completely devoid of them. This prompted the Dominion to sent scout missions towards several known infested system such as Meinhoff, Agria and Chau Sara. They got the news that morning. Those systems were now also devoid of the Zerg.

Some of the officers lauded the new development and called out for those planets immediate repopulation. However, quite a lot of people within the control room held a more guarded belief. Something big was indeed going on and only time will tell if it will bring good or bad. Jim himself agreed with the assessment. It was far too early to deduce on anything. Their current and immediate concern would be to investigate the missing case of the Ghost operatives and mount a rescue mission if needed. But until more data pours in, all they could do is wait. Meanwhile, all mission involving Ghost operatives were immediately suspended until further notice, much to the chagrin of some of the Dominion officers. However, Emperor Valerian had made it clear that until the situation had been made clear, no operative is allowed to go on a mission. He was reluctant to lose the extremely valuable operatives out of nothing. They were hard to come by and so far, most of the operatives were consisted of females. The males were far fewer in between.

* * *

It was half past three in the afternoon when Jim left the Command Center. He was heading towards the shuttle platform on his way to meet an old friend of his, Lars Bergstrom, a Kel-Morian officer.

Little did he realize that while he was there within the Command Center, a slew of Ghost operatives that stand guard were watching him.

 **To be continued…**

 **A/n: This was quite badly written from my own personal standard. I will revisit it to have it reworked.**

 **Just so you know, Nova in this story won't be the same as the one in Changing Perceptions. She would be basically the same Nova you saw in the games.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Episode 1 – 2**

 **Heather's Cafeteria, downtown Augustgrad… twenty minutes later**

Jim's hover car crawled into the available parking space near the entrance of the eatery.

He had wanted to take the shuttle initially but halfway to the shuttle platform, he remembered that there won't be any place for a shuttle to land at where he was heading. As a result, he made a detour and instead headed towards the Command Center's ground car garage. Ground car would be a lot slower compared to the shuttle, Augustgrad persistently gridlocked traffic jam notwithstanding, but at least for the first time ever since his return to the capital planet, he would be able to travel alone without any escort.

Valerian insisted on it of course. He stated that since Jim and Matt were now part of the Dominion inner circle, travelling without guards or security escorts was prohibited. That was one of the complaints he threw out during that argument. Valerian of course was having none of it. His final words was either he bring an escort or be stuck inside the palace all day. But not today. At least that was what he thought while waiting for the valet to bring his car. Today, though it would for just a short while, he will be free. He knew he would be breaking the law, but today, the law can go to hell.

After a few minutes of waiting, his car finally arrived. But just as he about to enter the car, someone called out his name from behind. "Commander Raynor!"

He turned around and much to his surprise, he saw one, no, make that four women in operative suit standing nearby looking at him. He knew who they were. Ghost operatives. He glanced at the group of valet, thinking that this might be some sort of joke, or perhaps one of them might have tip off someone up above that he was planning to botch the security.

But the group of valet too had the look of astonishment on their face. Jim could understand why. Ghost operatives seldom made appearance in public and they almost never appeared in groups. So practical joke? Scratch that. Tip off? Definitely no.

Jim turned back towards the Ghost operatives. "What are you doing here?" he asked, a little bit sterner than usual. "Aren't you supposed to be somewhere else? Like the control room for example?"

One of the operatives, the one who sport a long jet black hair hanging over her shoulder and a pair of green eyes, walked up to him. "Where are you headed to, sir?" she asked.

"That is none of your business," said Jim. He turned and was about to enter the vehicle when the operative held him back.

"Actually it is our business, sir," said the operative, holding his arm. "You are supposed to employ a security escort whenever you step out of the palace. The emperor demands it. For your safety," she added.

Jim drew up to the operative and looked at her straight in the eye. "Darlin', I had been to countless number of places far more dangerous than you and your friends had been. Hell, I had even been into deep bowel of the Zerg fortress, alone. I got out alive. Honestly I'm tired of being herded around so if you'll excuse me, I'm already late."

The operative however held him back once again when he tried to enter the car. "Sir, it's the law. The operatives and I have a job to do. And you're too important."

Jim shook his head. "You probably know me as the outlaw. That's a title I'm not planning to relinquish anytime soon. Do you really want to know who's important? Those guys up there, all of them within the control room. They run this joint. I'm not. I'm just a captain of a ship. You and the girls should go back up there."

But the operative held steadfastly at him. "Please, sir. We won't get in your way of whatever it is you're planning to do. Just let us do our job. That's all we're asking."

Jim's brow creased as he stared into the pair of green orbs. _Damn. You really reminded me of someone,_ he thought.

The operative apparently heard his thought. She immediately looked down.

"What's your name, again?" he asked.

"Jemima. Sir," replied the operative.

"Huh," said Jim. "I thought Ghost uses codename to identify themselves. I've only known a couple who uses their own name."

"The use of our own name makes it more personal, Jim. I mean sir! I'm sorry," said Jemima. Her face blushed after that little blunder she made.

"Right," said Jim who continued to look curiously at Jemima. "Well Jemima, don't worry about your job. I will explain to your superior when I get back. I'll vouch for you and your team. Don't worry about me. Just go back to the control room. They need you more than I do." With that, Jim entered the car but before he drove off, he took one last look at Jemima.

She was still standing there beside the car with that pleading look on her face.

Jim sighed. He had always been soft to women, even when they tried to kill him. Nova was a good example. This girl that stood right beside the car was no exception. "Alright," he said finally. "Get in."

Jemima beamed at him and signalled the other three operatives to join her. "So where are we going, sir?" she asked as the car exited the building and merged into the highway.

"Well," said Jim as he continued to drive along the highway. "You girls don't eat greasy food, do you?"

"No we don't, sir. It's not part of our diet. We need to keep fit." This time one of the girls who sat at the back seat answered. Jim took a glance via the rear view monitor and saw she sported short red hair. "By the way, my name is Melina, sir."

"Right. Melina. And the other two would be?"

"Clara," said the blonde one. "And this is Arianna," added Clara, pointing towards another brunette who was sitting beside her.

"Sir," nodded Arianna.

Jim nodded.

"So, where are we going again, sir?" asked Jemima.

"To see a friend," replied Jim. By this time, they had reached an interchange. Jim drove the car down the ramp and joined the much narrow street below that lead to downtown Augustgrad. "It's unfortunate that you girls don't eat greasy food because that's where we're heading. Anyway, it looks like I'm bringing quite a lot of firepower this time around. Usually it would be just a security guard and a gun. This time I could level a whole city block just by using the four of you. Any reason why I should bring that much ammo with me?"

Jemima went quiet. And so did the rest of the Ghost operatives.

"Anyone cares to answer?" asked Jim again.

Still, the operatives kept silence.

"You know we're in a little bit of crisis here," said Jim as he continued to drive the car. "A lot of your friends had gone missing including your commander, Agent Nova. I don't really support the idea of using psionic wielder as some sort of weapon, they're still human being after all, but I can understand its value in term of military defences. I just hope the training would be far more humane than before. Someone I knew got her life destroyed by it."

"Sarah Kerrigan?" This time, Clara spoke out.

Jim glanced at the rear view monitor. Clara was staring at him. "Yeah," he said. "I guess you girls should know her by now. She was the most powerful Ghost during her time."

"And still is," said Arianna. "In fact, she's now even more powerful than ever. And she had-." Arianna suddenly went silent.

Jim nearly hit the car in front of him the moment he heard what Arianna had said. Luckily, he managed to slam the brake just in time to avoid collision. He stopped the car at the side of the road and turned towards Arianna. "What did you say?"

Arianna stammered. "Urm, nothing sir. Nothing." Her face was completely pale.

"And she had what?" asked Jim.

But Arianna simply shook her head and refused to speak any further.

"Sir," said Jemima. "You should drive. You're late. Don't worry about what she said, sir. It's just something stupid that came out of her mouth."

Jim turned to look at Jemima. She calmly looked back at him.

"Right," said Jim. He restarted the stalled journey. For the rest of the way, he said nothing. His eyes were fixed on the road, missing the fact that the four operatives were exchanging glances between them.

They finally arrived at their destination in about fifteen minutes later. Jim shut off the engine and turned to the girls. "The point is right now, I'm wasting resources here. You girls should be deployed elsewhere, not guarding one single man such as me." He then got out of the car together with rest of the operatives. "Stay here. I'll bring back some sodas once I'm done," he said.

The girls nodded.

* * *

 **Inside Heather's Cafeteria…**

"You son of a bitch! You can never keep up with the time, can't you?"

"Well, good to see you again, Lars," said Jim as he took the seat opposite of Lars. "I got held up. Sorry."

"By a bunch of girls?" said Lars, nodding towards the operatives who stood beside Jim's car outside the eatery. "Are you planning to arrest someone? That's a whole lotta Ghost."

"That ain't my job," said Jim as he took the menu booklet from the waitress. "Anyway I'm off duty. They're my security escorts."

"Four operatives?" exclaimed Lars as he once again glanced at Jim's car. "Seriously Jim, that's a lot of firepower you brought with you. Why do you need that much?"

Jim shook his head. His eyes continued to browse the menu. "Ain't my call. I told them no. They insist that they wanna follow. I lost the argument eventually." After a few moments, Jim pointed to one of the pictures of a dish of fried chickens and fries to the waitress. "I'll have this and a glass of lemonade."

The waitress smiled and nodded to him. She then took the menu booklet and after Lars made his choice, left for the kitchen. Jim's eyes followed her, watching her hip swaying as she walked away from the table. He let out a low whistle. "I should come here more often," he said.

Lars turned to look at the waitress who disappeared moments later into the kitchen. "That girl?" he asked. "Yeah why not? She's good looking. It's been a while since the last time you married. I thought you could never move on."

"Oh I did move on actually," confessed Jim. "It didn't go as well as I hope for."

Lars nodded in understanding. "Yeah, that kind of thing do happened. But you know, having some sort of companion can do great things for you," he stated as he took a sip from the beer can that sat on the table in front of him. "Girls did a lot great things for me, ya know."

Jim smiled and shook his head. "And that is why you never get married and keep changing girls. You're just like Tychus."

Lars chuckled. "Yeah. I miss that big man though. Well, lucky for you, I'm not going to do what he did to you. You can count on that, old friend."

"Like what? Riding shotgun on the vulture while going naked?"

Lars burst out laughing. In fact, he laughed so hard that every eyes within the restaurant stared at the pair in wonder. It took a while before his laughter subsided. "Oh man!" he said as he wiped tears off his eyes. "That gets me every time. How do you feel having your buddy naked riding behind you?"

"I try not to think much about it. Lucky for me I was drunk at that time," replied Jim. The memory of him and Tychus fleeing from Wicked Wayne's with Marshall Butler in hot pursuit began to replay in his mind. "I told him to stay as far back as possible. I'm not ready to have someone's dick shoving up my ass even if it's unintentional."

"Yeah, that will work I guess. Actually I was referring to what he did to you at the end of the Second Great War. In the Zerg Hive if you remember?"

"Yeah I remember," said Jim. His eyes at the same time wandered off in search for that waitress that sat their table earlier. "Come to think of it, I have a feeling he didn't like what he was doing. It was like he was forced to do it. I just wish I had done more for him."

"You told me that once," said Lars. "It's his destiny, Jim. It's his fate. He trusted you enough to put his life in your hand and not letting Mengsk dictated what would become of him."

"Yeah I know. Well, let's stop talking about him, shall we?" said Jim. He felt a little bit frustrated that the waitress was nowhere to be seen. "What's really happening, Lars? It has been a year since the negotiation started. I felt like it's going nowhere."

"The General does not trust the Dominion, Jim," said Lars in a much more serious tone. "That stance does not change even when the Dominion has a new man on its helm."

"Valerian means well. You know that."

"Mengsk once told us that," said Lars as he took another gulp from his beer. "Look what happened. The only reason this negotiation happen is because of you. The Emperor put you in charge because he knows the General likes you. The General does not trust people that easily, Jim. Fair warning, don't toe out of the line or you'll lose more than just his trust."

"I won't," said Jim firmly. "I still remember all the help and protection the KMC gave to the Raiders. I ain't gonna repay that with a betrayal. You'll have my word on that. I just wish that you guys give Valerian a chance. Subjugating you guys is not his intention."

"It's going to take a lot more than words just to change our mind, Jim," said Lars. "We're not Umoja."

"Yeah-, yeah. I know about the Umojan. They accepted Valerian because he was one of them."

"I heard that they trying to get you to join them," stated Lars.

"They do?"

Lars nodded. "Heard about it a few days ago. You have influence on the Protoss and a close friend to their leader. I think that is their motivation. You know how crazy they are about the Protoss."

Jim shook his head. "It's true that I'm a close friend to their Hierach but I don't think I have that much influence on them. You know how the Protoss are. They're a proud race. Anyway, they'll be coming over within a few days time to sign a treaty. I'll be glad when it's over."

"One thing for sure, you played an important role in it. From what I gathered, the Protoss trust you deeply. That is why they readily accept what you said about Valerian. And that my friend, which is why you need to be careful when you visit Moria later on."

"Why?" asked Jim. His eyebrows creased.

Lars leaned forward. "You're valuable, Jim. The Protoss trust you and you're friend with them which would mean that you're under their protection. As I said before, the General likes you and he would want the same kind of protection you get from the Protoss. He's gonna try to have you join the KMC and leave the Dominion, Jim. That's for sure."

Jim leaned against the back of his chair. "Oh wow. You know I never want to join the Dominion, let alone anyone after the Hybrid War ended. I just want to retire from everything and have a quiet life. I could get it sooner if your general didn't keep on stalling the negotiation."

"Then you better pray that he'll change his mind during the next meeting. My advice, don't count on it. Realistically, we never get what we wanted. I think you know that."

Jim sighed. "Yeah I know."

Their food finally arrived. The waitress smiled widely at Jim before she left to attend to her other chores. "Well, looks like the girl is responding. I may visit this restaurant again tomorrow," he said.

Lars chuckled as he began to dive into his food. "Good luck with that. Huh, lemonade?"

"Yeap," said Jim as he took a sip. "You know, I had a fried chicken and a glass of lemonade the first time I met Liddy. This is a sign, Lars."

"Yeah," said Lars as he shoved a spoonful of spaghetti into his mouth. "A sign that your dry spell is going to end."

"Shut up!"

They continued to chat while eating their food. Lars told Jim about what happened within the KMC territory. One story that roused Jim's interest was about how all the ancient alien ruins scattered all over star systems within the KMC's territory suddenly came alive.

"Alive?" asked Jim curiously. "As in…"

"As in they became active, Jim. You know how they got these hieroglyphs and paintings on their walls. All of it suddenly glows brightly. We have no idea how or why it happened," said Lars. "We thought the Protoss had a hand in it at first but our scanners and our probes showed no sign of them. Odd isn't it?"

"It is odd," agreed Jim. "I don't hear anything like that coming in from the Dominion and the Umoja. You're sure about this?"

"Dead sure," replied Lars. "Something big is coming, I can tell you that. You may hear about it from the Dominion and the Umoja soon enough I think. Do you think it had something to do with the current crisis you're having?"

Jim sat in alarmed. "What crisis?"

Lars rolled his eyes when he saw Jim's response. "Please. Do you think the Dominion could keep their secrets from us for long? We know about the Ghosts going AWOL."

Jim began to calm down. "I take it that the KMC did not have a hand in this?" he asked.

Lars shook his head. "Definitely not. While we love to have the Dominion best Ghosts to work with us, I don't think subjugating them would be easy. Maintaining them would be extremely expensive as well. We can't afford it. Plus, we don't even know how those temples and shrines work."

Jim nodded. "I don't think any of the missing Ghosts are responsible for this. I can't remember if any of them even had the ability to wake up an alien temple but then we never know. The case is still under investigation."

"I take it that the Dominion suspended Ghost activities until they find the root cause which is why I was surprised to find four operatives following you here. That is at least four nuclear missiles standing beside your car. As security guards? That is a complete waste of good resources."

"I told you I lost the argument," stated Jim. "They would not listen."

"Well in that case, better use them while you can," said Lars. He then took a glance at the clock. It was already fifteen minutes after six. "It's late. I gotta go back. I figure you're going to be busy for the next few days?"

"Very," replied Jim. "When will you be heading back to Moria?"

"The day after tomorrow," answered Lars. "Gotta to tell the General that this meeting is successful."

Jim cocked his eyebrows. "Wait! What? You came to Korhal just for this meeting?"

"Yes," said Lars. "Just for this meeting. In fact, I shouldn't even be here, not until a peace treaty between us is signed. Like I said before, the General really likes you. He wants me to give you heads up before you visit Moria later this week. He did not want you to be caught off guard. To be honest, I think you should consider his proposal given the extent of his effort."

"We'll see." That was all Jim could say.

Lars nodded. "Alright. I'll pay for these meals. I'll see you on Moria."

They both stood up and after a handshake and a quick hug, Lars took leave through the eatery's back door.

* * *

Minutes later Jim exited the eatery, carrying with him four tall cups of soda. "Sorry, that took awhile," he said as he passed the sodas to the operatives.

The girls accepted the sodas gratefully. "That's okay, sir," said Jemima. "We know who you were meeting with."

Jim gave Jemima a sharp glance. "And I fully expect that you'll keep your mouth shut on this. This is important."

"Don't worry, sir. We won't tell anyone else if that what you want," assured Jemima.

Jim nodded. "Alright. Let's head back to the command center," he said as he entered the car.

Jemima gazed momentarily at the eatery before she and the rest of the girls followed Jim.

* * *

 **Imperial Palace, that night…**

That night, Valerian called for a short meeting between him and Matt, discussing the event that will happen within the next few days. He wanted to make it perfect. The peace treaty that shall be signed between the Dominion and the United Protoss will hail an era of peace and prosperity between the two empire and forever will grace within the hall of human history as one of the most significant event ever happened. A peace treaty between human and an alien race.

The meeting went well. Jim took the advantage and told Valerian what he heard from Lars Bergstrom regarding those temples. Valerian, always a budding scientist and archaeologist as he was, promised to take a look into it.

"I will call in some of my best scientists to look into it," said Valerian. "Do you know Professor Jacob Ramsey?"

Jim shook his head. "Nope. Never heard of him."

"It is as expected," said Valerian. "He's not that popular among civilians and military personnel but he is one of the more distinguished voices within the scientific community. Believe it or not, he had quite a run in with the Protoss as much as you. I had to keep him hidden from my father. I think you'll going to like him."

"I'll reserve my judgement. After Narud, I don't really think I want to meet another scientist," said Jim. He then remembered something else. "While you're at it, I think you might want to include someone else into the show."

"Like who?"

"You know Dr. Ariel Hansen? She's the leader of the former Agria colony. Me and the boys helped them once when the planet was overrun. They now reside on Haven," said Jim.

"Yes I heard what happened on Agria. So Haven was where they headed to? That planet is at the edge of the Protoss space," said Valerian.

"Yes we know that," said Matt. "We had a skirmish with one of the Protoss's fleet a few days after we arrived on that planet. Luckily we managed to hold them off. Their commander is going to be here within a few days. Do you think she'll forgive you for that, Jim?"

"Selendis? Well, she never mentioned that to me before we went into the Void. But she was a sport back then. She accepted her defeat so I guess its bygone be bygone."

Valerian smiled as he leaned back against his tall back chair. "And that is why I wanted you to stay," he said. "You're too valuable."

Jim went silent. He wondered whether or not he should tell Valerian what the Umoja and KMC had in plan about him.

"Dr. Hansen is a biologist though," Matt broke the silence. "You sure she can contribute to this kind of thing?"

"She's intelligent," countered Jim. "Remember when we had that artefact on board the ship? She was the one who studied it. I'm sure she can share a lot of what she learnt."

Valerian nodded. "I'll send an envoy to Haven. Hopefully she will agree to join the team."

The meeting went for another hour before they finally called it in.

* * *

 **Jim Raynor's bedroom, Imperial Palace… fifteen minutes after the meeting**

Jim took a late night shower. After he done drying up and put on a pair of short pant and a clean shirt, he walked towards the small bedside table where he put all the medicine the doctor gave him earlier.

He took out a pill and stared at it. "Well," he said. "Here's to a good night sleep. I'm sorry, Sarah." Jim then chugged the pill and lay on the bed, pulling the blanket to his chest.

And for the first time ever since the Hybrid War ended, he drifted into a dreamless sleep. And for the first time ever, Sarah's voice went silent.

 **To be continued…**

 **A/n: Another day another chapter.**

 **The one complaint that I had with the LOtV is that they turned Raynor into a weak minded fool. If you read the book, you know he was much stronger than that. And the fact that Blizzard closed the chapter on him and Kerrigan without giving them the chance of a possible return vexed me even more.**

 **Anyway, please read and review and I'll see you next chapter.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Alys'aril (The Sanctuary of Wisdom), Ehlna…**

The moon of Ehlna was a lovely place especially at twilight. The dust that settled during the day would scatter the blue and green light of the sun producing the most spectacular sunset ever to be witnessed.

But of course, the mostly arid moon was only lovely during the sunset. Most of the time during the day, it was harsh. The moon had one single ocean and the temperature during the day was unbearably hot and during the night, the temperature would drop to near freezing point. It was not a surprising fact to see that the Alys'aril's occupants, like most of the dark templars that resided on that moon, would only ventured out during the twilight where the condition was just right. They would line up at one of the many balconies, lifting their faces towards the sky that turned purple as they absorbed the life giving rays through the exposed skins.

Alys'aril was a place where Shakuras' dark templars reborn into memories. An ancient library that contains the collective of the Nerazim's memories and thought. It was a place where they shall live for eternity.

But Shakuras was no more. The planet had been destroyed during the war. Its occupants though lived on and far more numerous than ever before. It was under Artanis's order that every single Protoss must have their nerve cord cut. It was during the war that the Khalai finally realized that the Khala, the one sacred link that united them all, was actually a by-product of one corrupted Xel'Naga who used it effectively during the war. Many Khalais were corrupted. They turned against each other and to every other living being that inhabited this part of the galaxy. Only a few resisted Artanis's orders, refusing to abandon the Khala, maintaining the fact that Amon was no more and Khala could no longer be corrupted.

Ehlna was thankfully spared during the war and its role had expanded ever since. Not only would it had to accommodate the Nerazim, it would now have to accommodate the ex-Khalai as well, preserving their memories and their legacy in the form of crystals.

The day ran its course just like every other day. The sun was on its way to its daily resting place in the eastern horizon. Dusk had come. On top of one of the balcony that faced the ocean, a Keeper of Wisdom sat cross legged while enjoying his 'dinner'.

Once there were many, a hundred and thirty of the Keeper of Wisdom to be exact, managing, procuring new memories from visiting Protoss and transferring them into one of the crystal. It was a mind grinding task that required tight discipline, utmost concentration and a clean mind. A hundred and thirty was not enough but that was all the library had.

But now, there were even lesser of them and it was all due to the coincidental result from the battle for Jacob Ramsey. The enemies were seeking him. Ethan Stewart sought him for his queen. Ulzeraj sought to destroy him. The terran Dominion wanted to study him. The enemies, if not all, were of course neutralized. Ulrezaj was imprisoned within the crystal that also houses Zamara. The Zerg fleet was destroyed along with Ethan. For a brief period of time, Ehlna fell into the human's control. They desecrated the place. They took as much memory crystals as they can carry. Nearly half of the Nerazim's history were lost.

It was only after the immediate arrival of another Protoss fleet that the control of Ehlna was finally relinquished back into the alysaar's hand. After the war, the new emperor had agreed to return every crystal that was still untouched back to the library as per agreement struck between the New Dominion and the Daelam.

But still, many of the memory crystals had been lost or damage. The Keeper of Wisdom regretted it ever since. There was nothing he could do of course. All he could do was to look forward and not to let history clouded his judgement. At least, the Hierach had agreed to provide additional reinforcement to the small moon. A gesture that was a little bit too late but still, it was better than nothing.

Like a statue the acolyte sat on the balcony as he continuously absorbing the nourishment provided by the setting sun on the east and the rising stars on the west. He would only needed a few more minutes until his daily nutrition requirement was fulfil. He would need a few more minutes before he could return to his chores. The war had temporarily interrupted the flow of new memories. The Nerazim was busy fighting the war rather than preserving what they had learnt in the past. But once the war ended, there was an influx of fresh new memories need preserving, both from the Nerazim and ex-Khalai. It did placed quite a heavy burden on the shoulders of the Keepers. Their lesser numbers added to the burden and the fact that there were no new hires compounded the problem even more. He somehow had expected that. A lot of Protoss died in the war. Shakuras had been destroyed. Aiur needed rebuilding. Advertising and answering a job opening would be the last thing any other Protoss would had in mind.

Things would get better in the end. He was convinced of it. For now, he would have to make do with what he had.

The night was peaceful just like every other night. Like pieces of diamonds scattered across a huge field of black sand, the stars glittered through the night sky. Cool wind blew from the coast. In a few hours, permafrost would cover everything, both vegetations and buildings.

His eyes suddenly flew opened.

Something was wrong.

He leapt to his feet and walked towards the edge of the balcony. His glowing blues eyes reduced to a slit as he tried to pierce through the veil of darkness in front of him.

From afar, he could hear gurgling noises. It was getting louder which each second passing. Something was disturbing the ocean.

"Alysaar'vah!"

He turned around and saw another Protoss walked hurriedly towards him. "Ataldis! You heard?"

Ataldis stopped beside him. "Indeed I have, Krythkal. The ocean. It is restless tonight. You are the oldest amongst us. Had this occur before?"

Krythkal turned his gaze back to the ocean. "No. It had not. The ocean had always been peaceful." He then paused. He closed his eyes and let his mind wandered through the shroud of his thought.

It was at that moment the floor they were standing on began to shake. Krythkal eyes opened once again. "The energy nexus beneath the ocean!" he shouted. "Something long dormant had awakened!"

Before they both could do anything, a powerful quake hit the Alys'aril complex with such force that both alysaar were thrown off their feet.

Ataldis immediately got up and helped the elder Protoss back on his feet. The complex continued to shake violently that both of them had to grab the balcony's railing in order to prevent themselves from falling once again. It was at this point Ataldis noticed something coming in from the ocean.

It was a huge wall of water, taller than Alys'aril complex itself and it was coming fast towards them.

"Krythkal!"

"Yes. I see it," said Krythkal. "Brace yourself!"

The complex once again shook as the tsunami-like wave hit them. Both Krythkal and Altaldis were swept into the complex by the influx of the seawater.

Ataldis managed to grab hold one of the pillar within the Alys'aril. Krythkal though was not as lucky. The water swept him deeper into the complex towards the hall where all the memory crystal were kept.

"Krythkal!"

But Ataldis could no longer see his mentor. Krythkal was swept away by the strong current.

The water continued to rise higher and higher. Ataldis was left with no choice but to climb the pillar he was holding on to. The other alysaar's cries for help invaded his mind but for now, there was nothing he could do. He kept on climbing the pillar as the water level rose beneath him until he reached the ceiling. He saw an opening a few meters away from him, big enough for someone his size to push through, that will lead him towards the roof of the complex. It will take quite a feat for him to reach it but he had no choice. The water was rising fast. He was in danger of drowning or even worse, being swept out back into the sea.

Ataldis gathered whatever strength he got left. By using his hands as an anchor, he pushed his feet and took the leap of faith. He managed to catch the edge of the opening with one hand. He climbed into it and made his way to the other side.

From the top of the roof he saw the devastation. Protoss settlements nearby were completely inundated by the swelling of the seawater. He heard cries that moments later went into silent.

A huge cracking sound awakened him from his grief and a much stronger quake hit the complex. Ataldis had a hard time trying to keep himself on balance. And from where he stood, he could see the crust at the bottom of the ocean began to open up.

A huge city size ship that dwarfed everything, including the Alys'aril complex which was the largest Protoss made structure on the moon, slowly made its way through the moon's crust. Seawater fell from it as it began to ascend into the higher atmosphere.

Ataldis instantly recognized what it was.

"Xel'Naga World Ship!"

* * *

 **Spear of Adun, on its way to Korhal…**

The news came in just as the Spear of Adun left Aiur's orbit.

"A Xel'Naga World Ship you say? On Ehlna?"

"Yes, oh Hierarch," said Ataldis. The screen flickered as the Keeper of Wisdom continued his briefing to Artanis on the event. "We do not know there was one buried deep beneath the crust of the moon. All that we know is that the location where the ship broke surface is one of the moon's nexus point where all of the psionic energy is concentrated. I have instructed the rest of the surviving alysaars to investigate the ground beneath Alys'aril. We hope we won't find a ship hidden underneath the complex."

"Yes. Mohandar told me once about Alys'aril being built on top of one of the energy nexus on Ehlna. Have you got any information to where the ship was heading?" asked Artanis.

"No. But I know the ship was no longer in the same star system as Ehlna. Just it reached the upper atmosphere, a wormhole opened up and the ship flew right into it. We could not access any of the tracking system you've installed after the Battle of Ehlna at this point. Most of them were destroyed from the quake and the wave. Thousands of our people died, Artanis. And until now we have no news of what had become to the alysaar'vah."

Anguish and grieve layered Altaldis's voice. Something that Artanis could sense even without the help of Khala, much to his surprise. "Krythkal," he spoke softly. He too grieved the disappearance of the leader of Alys'aril. "Be strong, Ataldis. You did well. I shall send a portion of the Golden Armada to assist and to help you find your mentor."

"Will you be here, Artanis?" asked Ataldis.

Artanis paused at the question. It took him a few moments before he replied, "Eventually. But first there will be some questions that will need answering. Questions only one could answer."

Ataldis nodded. He understood what Artanis just said. "Very well, Hierarch. May the spirit of Adun and Zeratul go with you."

The main screen then went black.

"You're still going to Korhal after what had happened at Ehlna?" said Selendis who was watching the whole exchanges in silence.

Artanis nodded. "Yes. It is not my choice, Selendis. But I must do what I have to do. I need answers."

"Very well. Do you still need me to accompany you to Korhal? I can provide assistance to Ehlna," said Selendis.

"Providing assistance shall not be your duty at this time. I shall send Vorazun to Ehlna," said Artanis as he began to press a few buttons on the communication console and establishing contact with Aiur. "I will need you on Korhal."

Selendis bowed to her mentor. "As you wish, Hierarch. May I enquire to whom you're referring to that would answer all of your questions?"

"You know him, Selendis. He defeated you once before in a battle with only one capital ship."

Selendis's eyes widened.

"James Raynor!"

* * *

 **Somewhere on the other side of the galaxy…**

Her green eyes fluttered opened. She felt drowsy. It was as if she had just woken up from a really long slumber. It took a few minutes before her pair of emerald optics could adjust to its surrounding. It was then she noticed that she was in some kind of a room. Not a lab mind you, but a bedroom and a luxurious one at that.

"What?"

Suddenly she noticed that she was not alone. A person was standing not far from her. And that person was watching her.

Her eyes reduced to a slit. She recognized that person. "You?"

The pair of pink lips curved into a smile. Long flowing red hair laid over one of the shoulders. The pair of green eyes looked kindly at her.

"Yes. It is me. You're not in any danger, Nova. I am glad that we finally meet."

 **To be continued…**

 **A/n: Another day another chapter. Yeah the update would be slow. But in time, the plot will get more interesting. That I can promise you.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Public Announcement**

After careful deliberation, it is with heavy heart that I have decided to no longer continue writing this story. It is not that I hit a huge road block or anything – I have the complete lay out of the story from beginning till the end – it's just that I have completely lost interest in writing the story. So it is not about you, it's about me.

P/s: Sorry if it sounds like I'm trying to break up with a girl.

However, given that I will no longer continue writing this story and just in case if you guys are interested on how the story will go, I have no qualm in laying out the synopsis. I planned this story to be separated in three parts. We shall begin with Part 1:-

 **Part 1 – StarCraft : Guardian**

Under Kerrigan's protection, both the Raiders and the Protoss fleet managed to escape the backlash created by Amon's destruction. The Zerg, much to her surprise, however refused to leave. Under Zagarra's persuasion, Kerrigan uplifted the Zerg, turning them into newborn entities that she called the Guardian. Loyal to her, the Guardians were designed to help in the progress of her next plan that is to bring peace to the galaxy. Her experience as a human notwithstanding, this will be in line with Kerrigan's personal desire to not let the man she still have feelings with, Jim Raynor, embroiled in fights ever again.

However, for that to happen, she needs to put Raynor out of the way.

The Terran and the Protoss went separate way after the final battle within the Void. The Protoss under the leadership of Artanis, continued to rebuild Aiur, rehabilitated the Khalai Protoss who were just freed from the clutches of the Khala and reinforced the cooperation and the unity between the former Khalai and Nerazim who had just lost their home world, Shakuras.

Things were just the same with the Terran Dominion. Under the new guise as the New Dominion, Emperor Valerian Mengsk continued his pursuit in rebuilding his own empire. More benevolent than his father Arturus Mengsk, Valerian gave back to the people lots of right that were once denied from them such as freedom of speech and the right to access many benefits which were once only the Dominion core worlds held privilege of such as proper health care, higher education, business and much more. It did produce some setback though. Freed from Acturus cruelty, factions began to form and they began to challenge his rule. The most ruthless faction would be the Defenders of Man and for the first two years since the battle within the Void ended, the Dominion was at war with the Defender of Man. Due to the lack of empathy existed within the Defenders of Man, the terrorist organization managed to gain ground by launching fake terrorist attacks and swoop in to do the rescue before the Dominion could act. In desperation, Valerian dispatched Nova with several other Ghost operatives to infiltrate the Defenders of Man, to find out who their leaders were and to destroy the organization from within. Due to unknown circumstances, the Defender of Man network, prevalent in the Outer Colonies, was completely destroyed with all their leaders killed in just a matter of minutes. Later it was found that the Ghost operatives had nothing to do with it. And to complicated matters more, Nova and her team vanished without a trace immediately post aftermath.

Jim Raynor was struck with visions of Kerrigan within the two years after the Battle in the Void, asking him to search for her. Raynor, having had the same vision when Kerrigan was capture by the Zerg after Tarsonis, somehow was reluctant due to past experience. And for the past two years, he ignored it, hoping that it will go away. It did finally go away and Raynor was finally at peace, allowing him to concentrate on his current job as a peace negotiator between the Dominion and the Kel-Morian Combine, much to his dissatisfaction. He never intended to involve further into politics and such, having yearning to return to his former home world of Shiloh.

It was at this point after the two years where all of a sudden chaos started to happen within the Korprulu Sector. It started on the Moon Ehlna, a Protoss Sanctuary, where the Temple of Alys'aril, more commonly known as the Sanctuary of Wisdom, located. A Xel'Naga world ship had been awoken from the depth of the Ehlna's ocean. While the ship did not directly attacked Ehlna inhabitants, the process of its awakening did produced quakes and giant tsunamis that wrecked havoc to many Protoss's settlements scattered along its ocean shore. Thousands died and the temple itself was engulfed by the tsunamis.

Artanis, who was on his way to Korhal, got the news and immediately dispatched Vorazun to Ehlna to help with the rescue effort and to investigate the event. Once he arrived on Korhal, he immediately seeks Raynor, asking him on whether or not he heard anything from Kerrigan. Raynor told him no but he did divulge the dreams he had about Kerrigan to Artanis. In a private meeting with Raynor, Horner and Valerian, Artanis voiced his concerned about Amon. He suspected that the dark Xel'Naga may not be as dead as they thought. Valerian told him about the situation with the Zerg. Artanis acknowledged it as well and told them that all the Zerg on Aiur had also mysteriously vanished. The Protoss were of course, worried.

It was then an eruption of news coming in from all over the sector happened. Sightings of the Xel'Naga world ships became prevalent. More and more ships were awaken from its slumber and like Ehlna, the awakening triggered massive destructions to colonies, both Terran and Protoss, that were unfortunate enough to be within its way. The Dominion, still reeling from the destruction of its colonies, found another problem as well. All its Ghost operatives, both in active duty and in training, went missing.

Only one colony that had yet face the ordeal, the Kel-Morian Combine. Planet Moria had yet saw any Xel'Naga world ship within its vicinity.

Artanis immediately returned to Aiur after reports of several Xel'Naga world ships sighting within Aiur star system. Aiur thankfully was spared. The other planets within the star system however were not as lucky.

Jim Raynor, under the persuasion of Valerian and Lars Bergstrom, headed to Moria to warn General Mah Sakai, the leader of the Kel-Morian. He however, was once again struck with Kerrigan's vision when he arrived on the planet. Raynor, knowing that he could no longer ignore those visions, decided to investigate. His effort led him towards the edge of Del'Morian Sanctuary, a patch of forest located at the eastern hemisphere of Planet Moria. There he met Nova and the rest of her supposedly missing team.

Nova urged him to follow her, telling him that she could bring him to Kerrigan. Raynor of course did not trust Nova, arguing that there won't be any reason for the Ghost operative to have anything to do with Kerrigan. Nova however continuously tried to persuade him. She told him that Kerrigan did not want to hurt him and that she was sent there to ensure his safety. Raynor finally relented, thinking that he might get an answer from Kerrigan about all the events that happened. Nova then brought him into an underground cavern where the walls were carved with intricate Xel'Naga hieroglyphs and the familiar Ihan crystals littered the floor.

Lars Bergstrom having found out that Raynor went missing, launch a search and rescue mission. They managed to track him to the location where he met Nova. Unfortunately they were too late to stop him from leaving on a world ship that rose from beneath Moria's crust. Luckily though, nobody got hurt as the location was far from any settlement. The Kel-Morian though did experience moderate to strong earthquakes.

The world ship brought Raynor towards a planet called Genesis. There within a huge citadel erected among the lush green forest, he met Kerrigan and much to his surprise, all the missing Ghost operatives.

Now in her beautiful human form, Kerrigan embraced Raynor, telling him that he is now safe with her. Raynor confronted her about the world ships. She admitted that she was the one who awakened them all. She told him that more will come, not only from within the Koprulu Sector but from all over the galaxy and beyond. Thousands were already on their way to Genesis and the ships shall help her with her plan.

Raynor questioned her about the Ghost operatives. Kerrigan admitted that she was the one who persuade Nova and the rest of the operatives, via telepathy, to leave the Dominion, reasoning that all psionic terrans should no longer bow to their powerless master, and that they were destined for far more greater things. She admitted that she helped with the destruction of the Defenders of Man and she had ordered the Ghost operatives to monitor him when he was still on Korhal.

Raynor went on to raise the questions whether or not she knew about the tens of millions of lives being perished due to the world ship's awakening. Kerrigan, surprised by the question ultimately dismissed it, reasoning that it would be a small sacrifice compared to the trillions of lives spared when her peace was established throughout the galaxy.

Having seeing the irony of Kerrigan's actions, Raynor straight point out that he could not condone her plans of making the whole galaxy surrendering their freedom to her. Kerrigan argued that he should trust her like he had always been, that everything she did was for the greater good.

Raynor wanted to leave when Kerrigan failed to answer to the question of the fate of those worlds that refused to bow to her will. Kerrigan refused to let him leave and summarily locked him inside a stasis crypt, intending to wake him up in the next ten thousand years when he finally could see the fruit of her actions.

One of the Ghost operatives by the name of Diana Bertrand saw the folly in Kerrigan's plan and was planning to betray her. Diana managed to contact Korhal and gave the Dominion Genesis's coordinate and where Raynor was held. Valerian and Horner assembled together a team of search and rescue headed by Lars Bergstrom to rescue Raynor. They arrived at Genesis but not before Kerrigan made broadcast throughout the whole sector and the galaxy beyond about her intentions and threatened anyone who refuse to follow.

With the sense of foreboding following them and with the help of Diana, the team manage to infiltrate Kerrigan's citadel, disable the stasis crypt and extract Raynor.

Unfortunately, the Guardians were alerted of their presences when they tried to escape. A fight ensued. Raynor, Bergstrom and the rest of the team somehow managed to escape the citadel. Diana however was unlucky. Nova managed to disable her through mind attack. On their way to the extraction point, Kerrigan kept on communicating with Raynor through their mindlink, telling him that she did not want to hurt him and begging him to stay. When he refused, she had her force converged upon them. A much fiercer fight ensued and in their overzealous attempt to contain the team, Raynor ended up gravely wounded. He went unconscious and would have died that instant if the medics could not attend to the wound in time. Horrified with what she had done, Kerrigan pulled her force back immediately. Feeling distraught, she pleaded to Bergstrom to return Raynor to her, reasoning that only she could save his life. Bergstrom refused and used the lull moment to carve an escape route to their ship, carrying the unconscious and dying Raynor with them. And despite the blockade set by the Guardian, the team managed to flee.

Everywhere else, worlds fell into the Guardians' control. Korhal and Aiur were not spared either. Valerian and Horner managed to escape on White Star. Together with several surviving battle cruiser, they flee towards deep space and out of Koprulu Sector. The Protoss unfortunately were not as lucky. Artanis and the rest of the Protoss leaders were held against their will. Vartanil and Selendis somehow managed to escape. Selendis though would have been caught or killed if Artanis failed to persuade her to leave. He told them to seek Jim Raynor.

The rescue team and the remnants of the Dominion met at the rendezvous point set up within was what known as the NC1134 star system. Vartanil and Selendis made contact and together with what remains of the Protoss, they joined forces and became the Resistance.

Valerian, Horner, Bergstrom, Selendis and Vartanil watched as Raynor was inserted into the cryo tube, both to keep him alive and to prevent Kerrigan from finding him. They have no knowledge if Raynor could finally survive. Only time and his will to live can tell.

Kerrigan was relentless.

They could only watch as world upon world fell under her control and wondering would there be any way to stop her.

Unfortunately for them, the light at the end of the tunnel may never appear.

 **Part 2 - StarCraft : Earthwhile**

Admiral Alexandria Dugalle, daughter of Admiral Gerard Dugalle was a fast rising officer within the newly established United Nations and Colonies Security Council or UNCSC. Built on top of the UED ashes, UNCSC was supposed to propel the human race into better future and be far more benevolent than the UED. The UED fell after the failure of the UED expeditionary fleet led by Alexandria's father. Alexandria had since been campaigning for another fleet to be launch in order to ascertain the fate of the expeditionary fleet and more importantly, her father.

She finally managed to convince the top brass to let her lead a small fleet that will head towards the Koprulu Sector under the strict orders to not engage anyone. Her main purpose would only to find the lost fleet. The fleet, consisted of five battle cruisers, was prepped and was launch three weeks after that.

However, just as she reached Koprulu Sector, news came in that the Earth was under attack.

Kerrigan, still mourning the loss of Raynor, ordered Zagarra and Niadra to lead a battalion of Guardian to take over the Earth, seeing that the planet and her colonies represented a final hurdle in establishing her dominance over the galaxy.

A battle ensued and the already weakened UNCSC was promptly defeated.

Alexandria wanted to go back to Earth but was told to stay away as she and her fleet had inevitably become the only hope for Earth's survival. Her mission had changed from finding the lost fleet into finding help.

 **Part 3 – StarCraft : Resistance and Conclusions**

The remaining UNCSC fleet joined forces with the Resistant in their quest to free the galaxy.

* * *

Yeah I think that's all for now. Part 3 will be the best part among the trilogy to be honest, if I am willing to write them that is. I have decided to keep it a secret for now. But at least you guys know how it will go.

So anyway, adios. I don't know if I will write for StarCraft in the future. Can't say I won't because maybe I might. Can't say I might because I maybe I won't. A decision shall be made once my current active fic is done.

Thanks for all the support. I truly appreciate it.


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